Thought for Tuesday, 10th Week in Ordinary Time

The brook near where Elijah was hiding ran dry,
because no rain had fallen in the land.
So the LORD said to Elijah:
“Move on to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there.
I have designated a widow there to provide for you.”
He left and went to Zarephath.
As he arrived at the entrance of the city,
a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her,
“Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink.”
She left to get it, and he called out after her,
“Please bring along a bit of bread.”
She answered, “As the LORD, your God, lives,
I have nothing baked;
there is only a handful of flour in my jar
and a little oil in my jug.
Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks,
to go in and prepare something for myself and my son;
when we have eaten it, we shall die.”
Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid.
Go and do as you propose.
But first make me a little cake and bring it to me.
Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son.
For the LORD, the God of Israel, says,
‘The jar of flour shall not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’”
She left and did as Elijah had said.
She was able to eat for a year, and Elijah and her son as well;
the jar of flour did not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.

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After Pentecost Sunday we return to Ordinary Time (10th Week). We are reading the story of the prophet Elijah in the First Book of Kings. This story of the widow that Elijah encounters always inspires me for a few reasons:

1) Faith – Elijah trusted in the Lord completely to go to Zarephath. He also had faith that the Lord would continue to provide for the widow and her son despite the fact that she was using all of her flour and oil. The widow also had faith in Elijah’s promise that her oil and flour would not run out.

2) Generosity of God – When we surrender everything we have to God, He will multiply our offering and make it abundant. I have found this to be true in my life and priesthood. When I feel that I have no more energy to do one more thing during a given day, I ask God for the strength and surrender everything to Him, and He always gives me renewed strength and energy. I also gave up baseball to become a priest and now I’m working as the chaplain for the Chicago Cubs. We cannot outdo God in generosity!

Take time today to reflect on how generous you have been with God. Do I surrender everything to Him? Do I ask Him to bless me when I feel I have nothing else to give? Do I trust that the Lord will take care of me in my deepest need? He took care of the widow and her son. He will take care of us as well.

Responses

Plz take me off list burke. My email is out of service this Friday. Not sure of fr. Jeffs or my new email. Hope ur workshop went well. Which guys will be at st. Ann for the totus tuus? Good nite burke.

About 2 years ago now I heard a song on Christian radio that said, “Why didn’t I give it all; why didn’t I surrender when I had the chance”. Something struck me in those words and I decided to surrender “everything” (my stuff that I clung to, my desire to be right, etc) and that was the most wonderful gift I ever gave myself. It helped me draw closer to God and He has blest me abundantly in simple, spiritual ways ever since.